1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing system, an information processing device, a computer readable medium, and a job execution method. The present invention more specifically relates to a technique of executing a job through cooperation between an image processing device and a job cooperation server by using a ticket issued by an authentication server.
2. Description of the Background Art
Recently, image processing devices called as digital complex devices or MFPs (multi function peripherals) installed in places such as an office have been connected to a network. Devices such as a computer and a server providing various functions besides the image processing devices are also connected to the network. There are many types of servers such as an authentication server for authenticating a user and a job cooperation server for cooperating with the image processing device and executing a job.
Ticket type single sign-on system using Kerberos authentication is known as a recent network system. In this system, as a user makes operation to the image processing device and enters authentication information such as user ID and password, a request for authentication is sent to the authentication server from the image processing device. User authentication is then executed in the authentication server. As the user authentication results in success, an underlying ticket (TGT: Ticket Granting Ticket) corresponding to the user is transmitted from the authentication server to the image processing device. The underlying ticket thereby transmitted is stored in the image processing device. When the image processing device executes a job through cooperation with the job cooperation server based on instructions by the user, it transmits the underlying ticket to the authentication server, and sends a request for a ticket to use the job cooperation server. Based on the request, the authentication server transmits the ticket to use the job cooperation server to the image processing device. The image processing device accesses the job cooperation server with the ticket. As a result, the image processing device is allowed to execute the job through cooperation with the job cooperation server.
In the above-described system, whether or not each user is authorized to use the job cooperation server is determined based on the underlying ticket issued in advance by the authentication server. If the user is authorized to use the job cooperation server, the ticket to use the job cooperation server is issued based on the underlying ticket. When each user makes operation to give instructions to the image processing device to access the job cooperation server, he or she is not required to enter information such as his or her user ID and password every time. Regarding this point, operability is good.
The user operates the image processing device and tries to execute the job through cooperation between the image processing device and the job cooperation server. At the timing, the image processing device starts operation to acquire the ticket to use the job cooperation server from the authentication server in the above-described system. So, there is a problem that it takes time to start execution of the job in the image processing device.
The image processing device installed in places such as an office is used by the plurality of users. Moreover, the user who uses is replaced by another frequently. For initial use of the image processing device by each of the users, the image processing device acquires the underlying ticket corresponding to the user from the authentication server and stores therein the acquired underlying ticket. The underlying ticket stored in the image processing device is possible to be used by a third person improperly, causing lowering of security.
The underlying ticket may be deleted every time the user replaced. In such a case, the image processing device needs to execute a process to prompt entry of information such as user ID and password and to send the request for authentication to the authentication server every time the user replaced. When the same user uses the image processing device very often repeatedly, he or she is required to make entry of user ID and password each time. The operability is lowered. Also in this case, the request for authentication is sent to the authentication server every time the user of the image processing device replaced, so a load placed on the authentication server is got heavier. Especially when multiple image processing devices are installed in a network environment and the authentication server unifies the management of those multiple image processing devices, the load placed on the authentication server is got extremely heavy.
In order to reduce the operation load placed on the user enters user ID and password, the underlying ticket acquired from the authentication server is stored in a removable medium. This known technique is introduced for example in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-110351 A. According to this technique, by attaching the removable medium to the image processing device, the user may use the underlying ticket stored in the removable medium. The user is allowed to skip the operation to make entry of user ID and password.
In the above-described conventional technique, however, it is less convenient for the user to carry the removable medium stores therein the underling ticket around all the time to use the image processing device. Also, after using the image processing device, the user may leave the image processing device without removing the removable medium. In this case, the underlying ticket is possible to be used by a third person improperly. Even when the underlying ticket is stored in the removable medium, the image processing device is required to start a process when accessing the job cooperation server. The process is to transmit the underlying ticket to the authentication server after the removable medium is attached, and to acquire the ticket to use the job cooperation server. So, it still takes time to start execution of the job.